You’d expect it in Italy, but it’s actually in Belgium a massive Abarth museum is developing. The new building will display a collection of 200 cars, across three floors. The Abarth Works Museum/GMR will open in the spring of 2025.
Belgian Guy Moerenhout’s collection is already well-known locally. Moerenhout – a former rally driver and race tuner – started bringing together cars in 1971. The main theme of his collection is Abarth, but also includes Fiats, Ladas, Seats and others. Being a model year 1949 himself, Moerenhout admits the link to the year Abarth was founded played a role in igniting his passion for the Austro-Italian maestro.
Guy Moerenhout Racing
One of the more remarkable aspects is how many cars Moerenhout and the Guy Moerenhout Racing (GMR) crew keep in running condition. Moerenhout himself still participates in historic rallies, and his cars can often be found on the starting ramp of rallies. One of the plans is to have a fleet of cars available for rent, either for rallies, or just for a leisurely drive.
Antwerp region
The museum has been in existence since 2015, in Lier in the Antwerp region. But Moerenhout and his stepson Jeroen Nys have opted for a new, very ambitious plan that will put the Abarth Works Museum on the map internationally as well. In a new building that replaces the old museum, the collection will be properly displayed over three floors. In total, close to 5000 m2 are available for the collection.
Carlo’s bar
The museum will keep a workshop that will be available for hire, including mechanics. Next to that, a library, a museum shop and a ‘Carlo’s bar’ have been incorporated in the plans. The new Abarth Works Museum has meeting rooms that can accommodate events for up to 400 people. The old museum received around 4000 visitors per year. Once the new museum, scheduled for opening in the spring of 2025, is ready, visiting numbers should multiply.
You can keep up to speed with the project here.
Report by Johan Dillen
